Ranger Comes Bearing Gifts
by mybrowneyes
Summary: Response to Rangeman Writer's Challenge. Ranger makes up with Stephanie after he's been 'in the wind'.
1. Chapter 1

Not mine. All JEs characters.

**__**

Ranger Comes Bearing Gifts

__

Week 18 Kathys Challenge

When Ranger went in the wind this last time, he and Stephanie had been growing closer. He was ready to ask her to move into the 7th floor apartment until that one day. The disagreement seemed trivial now after these last few months away in HELL. Everything that could go wrong practically did, the Intel was wrong, a few men assigned to his team were unprepared 'experts' and almost got them all killed numerous times, but somehow Ranger was able to pull it all together. The target was destroyed and to boot, rescued a French diplomats family that was being held hostage. That was one of the reasons for the extra-large paycheck Ranger deposited into his account. He was called away so quickly, he never had a chance to make-up with Stephanie. He's had these hours, day, and months to think about it and it was just silly, he let a cat cause an argument with Stephanie. Cats broke up him and Lula.

They were coming back after dropping off a skip at the police station when Stephanie yelled, "Stop!" He pulled to the curb and she was out of the truck running down the sidewalk and into the entrance of an alley. Ranger heard dogs barking and saw them running off in a hurry. Stephanie was trying to untangle something from a mess of wire hanging from a tree. It was a dirty cat with a dirty white face.

"It'"s OK," getting it free. "I'll help you."

Before he knew it, Stephanie had her Rangeman hoodie off and wrapped the shivering cat in it. It was a cool spring morning so she needed the extra warmth.

"Babe, that's a good sweatshirt. It's a cat."

Those blue eyes shot daggers at him, "And those dogs were going to rip it limb for limb," walking back to the truck. "'Are you going to take me with Oliver to the animal hospital down on Swanson so I can make sure it's not hurt?"

"In my truck?"

There were those eyes again, "That would be nice, but I can walk so we won't get any cat hairs, cat snot, or even cat breath in your freakin' truck!" Her voice rising so it was just below her rhino mode.

This was Stephanie. He drove them there and sat in the lobby with all the other pet owners with their animals while a vet examined the cat.

"Babe, you have the attack hamster. You can't keep the cat."

Ranger's sister had this mean cat when they were growing up which bit him at every opportunity. The cat and he became mortal enemies. Ranger did everything as a boy could to torment the cat when no one was looking and the black cat would seek it's own revenge on him including once using his sneakers for a litter box. After that, animal some how took a leap out his bedroom window one night and never came back. He did help his sister look for it, but not very hard.

So, from that point, he avoided contact with cats.

"Oh, and I should just abandon the poor thing so it ends up at a shelter or maybe a homeless person is cooking it in a pot of stew. Its a living creature, Ranger!"

"I'll leave money with the receptionist to cover the visit and we can go to lunch! I dont mind Rex in the apartment, but no cat," he was trying to get her out of the clinic.

His cell phone rang. That's when Tank told him about the call and he was needed immediately.

Stephanie just said, "Go. I'll wait for the vet. I'll have Daddy pick me up. Just go do what you need to do. I'll be fine. This has taken up enough of your time."

Stephanie gave Ranger a very unceremonious peck and ushered him out. She was upset with him and that's how it was left almost five months ago.

Now he was back and needed to make-up with Stephanie. He also knew it was a possibility that she gave that misfit cat a home. Ranger went directly to Tanks office when he got off the elevator on 5.

"Ranger, you're back," Tank was immediately up from his desk and giving him a hug, relieved he was back. His best friend saw his apprehension about one person. "Stephanie's safe and OK."

He was relieved. "Where is she? Is she seeing anyone?"

Tank indicated to a chair, "Bombshell works here full-time now. She goes after skips still with Lester, but Vinnie's been slow. She has a new place. Her building was sold and is being turned into exclusive renovated senior apartments and she wasnt allowed to have Oliver, the cat. She bought a really nice detached Stucco house. It was an estate sale and her father knew the son who was selling it. Secure. So, she, Rex, and Oliver moved in about a month ago. No, she's not seeing anyone except us. We barbecued on her rear patio for a house warming."

"Is she here?"

Tank shook his head, "She took the day off to finish up painting because some furniture was being delivered." Writing down the address, Tank handed him a piece of paper. "I'm sure youll want to see her. I think you have some groveling to do."

Ranger picked up his bag and took the address, "Thanks." He needed to say he was sorry and hopefully Stephanie didn't slam the door in his face.

A short time later casual Ranger in jeans and Henley shirt was ringing the doorbell next to a heavy wooden door of a light peach Stucco house. A swing hanging from the ceiling on the front porch with soft green cushions. Red flowering baskets to match the door in planters on the banister.

"Coming," he heard Stephanie call.

She unlocked the door and opened the storm door, "Ranger."

"Hi, Babe," handing her a large bouquet of flowers. "I was a jerk. I'm sorry."

"I kept Oliver," she let him know before she held open the door for him to enter.

"I know," seeing the clean grey cat with white face sitting on a bench in the entry. He jumped from his spot walking past her and sniffed the paper bag in Ranger's hand.

Her blue eyes were laughing at the unsure Ranger, "You came bearing gifts?"

He nodded and removed an exquisite crystal vase from another bag. Stephanie took it and opened a door. He heard water so he assumed it was a powder room. The flowers were arranged in the vase when she came back out to him.

"Come in," leading Ranger through a large rounded archway into the living room. "Would you like something to drink?"

"Maybe later," sitting down next to Stephanie on a comfortable cream sofa. Next, Ranger produced a bottle of wine. Then, a chocolate cake. The cat was going crazy batting at the small bag.

"Whats in there? It's driving Oliver crazy."

Ranger opened it and the cat let out a Meow. He handed Stephanie a container of 'Hamster Goodies', then pulled out a pink cloth mouse full of Catnip.

Stephanie watched him, "Are you done? Christmas isn't for a few months."

His eyebrow up, "Yeah."

"I'm supposed to forgive you?"

He let out a sheepish, "Babe," pulling her to him. He saw the mischievousness in her eyes and the love. His lips touched hers softly and Stephanies kissed him back.

"I'm sorry," and claimed the lips he had been apart from these months.

She smiled a little and he felt against his lips. "You are a manipulator."

"NO, I like to think of myself more as an outcome engineer," kissing her again. Hed get a tour later and hopefully the catnip kept the cat busy while they were, too.


	2. Chapter 2

**__**

Ranger Comes Bearing Gifts

__

Part 2

Ranger woke up and was face down sprawled across the bed with only him in it. He gave his eyes a moment to focus and glanced at the clock radio on the far night stand. It read 8:34. Wow! The wine really knocked him out combined that with exhaustion from being away, and he had some making up to do.

He rolled over and sat up looking around Stephanies bedroom. She had a large platform bed. The furniture was a warm honey wood with dark legs. The upper wood on the bed, night stands, and bureau all appeared like the wood was woven. She had sheets with a satiny finish on the bed which had a coolness to them. Opposite the bed was a large arched window, the top was stained glass and the bottom covered by draperies to match the sand colored walls. The comforter was a pale blue with intersecting and trailing circles of dark blue, white, and beige. A pair of his sweat pants and t-shirt were lying on the upholstered blue bench at the bottom of the bed waiting for him. Slipping them on, he went in search of the bathroom. Opening the bedroom door, Oliver was sitting there with the catnip mouse. He kicked it with his toe down the hall and he took off.

He found the bathroom and Stephanie had a new toothbrush on the vanity for him.

Coming down the stairs, he smelled coffee and something else, a hint of orange. Following his nose, he found the kitchen. It was very retro with a black and white tile floor, stainless steel appliances, even the microwave, that looked right out of the 50s.

"Hey, Sleepyhead," Stephanie kissed him after she set a plate of warm breakfast rolls on the counter. That was the orange he smelled.

"Babe, have we gone back to the future?"

Stephanie grabbed a mug off a chrome bakers rack and poured him a cup of coffee. "It seems like it. The kitchen was like this when I bought it. The woman who owned this liked to cook. She just hasnt rubbed off on me yet."

Oliver came running past with the pink mouse in his mouth and jumped up on red chair by the table covered in a table cloth with cherries. Ranger noticed a black cat clock on the wall above it with blinking eyes and swaying tail.

"Daddy found that for me in consignment store," Stephanie smiled watching the clock.

The walls were freshly painted white. Behind the sink and stove a checkered backsplash of red, white, and black tiles with red counter tops.

Looking around the kitchen, he saw a red phone on the wall inside the rounded doorway that resembled a payphone with rotary dial, but didnt see Rex. "Wheres Rex?" His eye shifted to the grey cat still perched in the chair.

"Oliver didn't eat him. There's a small sun porch that Rex seems to enjoy," Stephanie pointed to a door. "When it gets cold, I'll bring him in here."

Ranger took a bite of the warm iced orange rolls. "This is good, Babe."

"What about the temple? They looked really good on the tube in the grocery store."

"The temples depleted," reaching for another roll.

Stephanie just stared.

Ranger was licking his fingers, "They're good."

"I'll make you some eggs and bacon. I have the pre-cooked kind so I dont turn it into charcoal."

"OK," he nodded then got a second cup of coffee. He kept taking in the kitchen, "When's the Fonz showing up?"

He got a Burg eye roll from Stephanie taking eggs out of the refrigerator. "If it's too much, you can eat in the dining room or on the deck."

He kissed Stephanies cheek then started breaking eggs in the bowl she took out of a cupboard, "No. It's different from your apartment."

"Well, when I learned my building was being converted and I was underage to be a tenant. I began looking for a new place that would let me have Oliver and Rex. The few places I did find wanted such a large deposit just for him and I wasn't going to abandon Oliver, so Daddy suggested maybe buying. He worked with Mrs. Smither'ss son at the Post Office. This one was the nicest place we looked at. The house didn't really need any fixing up, just some paint, and he wanted to unload it. What I had saved and my skip money, I was able to pay half and just have a small mortgage each month. It's less than my rent so I took the plunge."

Stephanie saw something register on Rangers face, "I'm sorry, Babe. I was an Ass."

She smirked at him, "**_Oh, sure. Make up for being a bully by plying me with your body _last night."**

"Did it work?"

"You're still here. Oliver is really good. Daddy even gets along with him and he dislikes cats. I think it's because Oliver will lie on the ottoman and watch sports with him. So," handing Ranger his plate of eggs and taking bacon out of the microwave, "I imagine you'll be able to get along, too."

Before Stephanie picked up Ranger's empty plate, he pulled her down into his lap and began kissing her, "What do we do now?"

"I have some painting to finish." Stephanie knew that was not what Ranger was referring to, but she was allowed to tease.

"Babe!"

"I do! You could help. I just moved in, so I'm not moving again."

"That wouldn't make sense."

"Well," Stephanie was running her fingers along the rippled muscles, "Oliver, Rex, and I could always use a roommate, particularly one with a housekeeper, who is an excellent cook and makes yummy desserts."

He gave a wolf grin, "You love me for my housekeeper!"

"Of course! I'm not stupid and I need to eat. There are also Cuban induced orgasms," Stephanie giggled against his lips, "Oh, and I could get a ride to work." Oliver jumped up on the chair he exited and laid his catnip mouse on the table. "I think Oliver is trying to tell you he wants more catnip."

"Where's the paint and brush?"

The End.

**_P.S._**

Ella had dinner and dessert for them which they brought each night from Rangeman, Stephanie had lots of Cuban induced orgasms, Oliver was happy from the continuous supply of Catnip and got along with Ranger, and they lived very happily in her Stucco house and anywhere else they chose to live.


End file.
